Hwy 10, West of Mandan

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Biking Brasilia!

The annual GRA Croplands Research Group meeting in Brasilia,
Brazil afforded me the opportunity to observe bicycling in South America (a first for me). My previous
travels ‘south of the border’ have extended no further than Mazatlán, Mexico,
so this was a momentous travel experience, and one I enjoyed immensely despite
being limited to a three day visit.

Brasilia is the hub of government for Brazil. It has the unique distinction of being a city
built over a 41 month period with the specific purpose of supporting the
national government. Inaugurated in
April 1960, the city is characterized by modernist architecture at a grand
scale.

(Looking down from the 21st floor onto part of
the Monumental Axis)

While I had no time for recreation during my visit, my
walking excursions to and from meeting locations allowed me to
observe bicycling in this city of 2.5 million people.

One thing I noticed immediately upon arriving was the pace
of the traffic. All vehicles, including
public transport, moved well above the speed limit and often at an unsafe travelling
distance. As a pedestrian, I learned
immediately to look twice before crossing roadways, even when I had the
right-of-way (as I was nearly hit at an intersection by a taxi on the first
day!). Some thoroughfares were also
surprisingly wide (six lanes), which made for some interesting crossing
experiences given the paucity of stoplights.

(Major thoroughfare in Brasilia)

I was pleased to see a bike-share system and dedicated bike
lanes close to the Monumental Axis.
Both, however, seemed infrequently used until Sunday morning,
corresponding to a time when vehicular traffic was scant. The bike share stations seemed to be operated
using cellular phones, as I could not discern an obvious undocking/docking
mechanism, though admittedly, my limited understanding of the Portuguese language didn’t
help.

(Dedicated bike lanes)

(Brasilia bike-share station)

(Bike-share bike)

(And you unlock it how?)

I witnessed some interesting riding habits during my
visit. ‘Taking the lane’ on the
equivalent of an interstate was a bit surprising, as was riding against traffic
on the same highway. Salmoning seems ubiquitous, despite the obvious
risks.